Contrary to Regulations Hand Stamp

[Robert Gray]

Attached WWI cover from India to Zossen (Halbmondlager) PoW Camp Germany. The verso of the cover shows a partial hand stamp that reads: "Contrary to Regulations/ 
Letters for Prisoners ?/ must be ??"

Would appreciate some help: does anyone know if this is a British h/s or Indian one and does anyone have the rest of the text of this hand stamp.

Thank you,

Robert Gray

[Nick Colley]

Hi, Robert, welcome to the Forum.

I confess your question falls outside what little expertise I might have as regards military mail. However, I see the two datestamps on your item are only 10 days apart. This implies, I think, that the item never left India, so your 'Contrary to Regulations' mark would have been applied in India.

With respect to the uninked words, I would surmise that the third line would say something along the lines of 'must be written in English'. That's only a guess, though, based on the assumption that the censorship authority was operated by the British in India. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can supply a more robust answer.

rgds
Nick

[Alan Baker]

Outside my field of knowledge, but I note the first stamp bears the word "out" and the second "in"

[Robert Gray]

Hi Nick,
Thank you for your advice on this. I will try with some India collectors as well.
Kind regards,
Bob

[Michael Dobbs]

Bob

This seems to be an unusual cachet, possibly not seen before.  I don't know what the two datestamps are, where applied, etc. 

As you may not get any further here, might I suggest you submit this to our Journal Editor (Chris Grimshaw) as a query in a future FPHS Journal.  We do publish queries in our Journal although in recent times we don't appear to have received as many as we have had in the past.

Mike  :)

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hello Bob

Welcome to the Forum, hopefully the first of many queries and contributions.  Will extract what I need from your post and feedback so far.  This will appear as a Query in the Winter Journal.

Chris

[Graham Mark]

Hello Robert
This handstamp was listed and illustrated in my 2000 book on British Censorship of Civil Mails during WWI (2nd impression copies still available from me: £20 + p&p)
The handstamp reads CONTRARY TO REGULATIONS / Letters for Prisoners of War / must be addressed in ink.
This was a requirement originally laid down by the German Govt.
I had recorded only two examples back in 2000 but I have seen a few more since, so I would rate the marking as fairly uncommon.
Graham

[Robert Gray]

Graham,
Thank you for the explanation. I could not find anything like it associated with India. The cover likely traveled from India to London where it was hand stamped prior to being forwarded to Germany through a neutral country.
I will p.m. you regarding the censor book.

Best regards,

Bob